My thought is you can be positive or you can be negative in life, and it's more fun to be positive, so I think I'll do that.

I'd try to redirect coversations to what are the good things we're going to do.

Maybe your meetings could use a little more structure. Do you have a published/printed agenda you pass out?

Also, it's not the PTO's job to solve all the problems in the school. I think people need to have that made clear to them. Problems are generally better solved by the person that has the problem talking to the teacher first. If the problem happens again, depending on what the problem was, you might need to talk to the teacher again. If that doesn't work, talk to the Principal.

PTO/PTA means so many things to so many people. The first order of business is to get your group on the same page. A selling point to PTO participation that I use is as a ACTIVE member, you tend to have more influence within the school.Maybe just because you are more present than some other parents, maybe because you interact with teachers and staff on a different level, whatever, but that influence can translate into more success at solving problems. When our group addresses a school issue, it is from a collabrative standpoint. You must agree that everyone involed has the same goal; The best possible learning and school community environment for the students. If issues are approached from that perspective, not a " This is the problem, what are you, the school staff, going to do about it?", then more will get done, the tension will lift, and you will get onto fun!
To many PTO Meetings seem like mini-versions of "The Apprentice". Meetings are a neccesary evil, if they last forever, or constantly turn into gripe sessions, then no one will show up ( more than once, anyhow!) People are busy, respect their time, have an agenda that you stick to, focus on activities for the students and their families, and go home. The main fun from a PTO meeting itself is the time spent interacting with people you share a common bond with, and planning cool activities that you and your kids get to participate in. PTO isn't rocket science, we just bring to much to the table sometimes. Involved parents tend to be ready to save the world. We stress ourselves out as much as anything else. The Officers set the tone,loosen up, have fun being with each other, and the rest will fall into place!

I think so many of us agree that communication with parents is absolutely key. Not just communication about what's going wrong but routine, fun, uplifting communication about what is going right. Little stories about the school environment or successful aspects of your program. There is also the debate as to whether you entertain "issues" as they relate to the school or if you find your organization to be more beneficial if you are a morale oriented, positive involvement group. I think one of the hard things when a PTO becomes an advocacy group is that you cannot represent all of the parents positions. That in turn causes you to have meetings where you debate issues, create friction (an obvious by product) and get bogged down in policy. I do think that parents should become involved in those issues and have championed some of them in our county, but NOT as the PTO President, as a concerned parent with a definiate stance on a policy. Regardless of your decision on which role to assume, if your group is not fun people just won't be interested.

Have goals for your group and your children but don't have an agenda. There are great kids in the gifted program and great kids in the special needs programs. You have to be the gelling factor between those groups of parents. We run a book club and chess club for our children that feel up to that sort of rigorous stimulation, but we also have a Dreamcatchers Day that focuses ONLY on our special needs children providing an amazing day of activities for just them since they often cannot enjoy our other events to the fullest. We also do a PTO Spirit Award. No big deal, we stand up in front of the parents at the award ceremony and recognize children who do their very best every single day. Sometimes those are children on the honor roll and sometimes they are children that struggle nightly with their homework. This little bit of recognition makes working hard a little bit easier. The award is two bobcat bucks for our school store and the children go absolutely crazy for it.

You and your board need to get out there and meet and greet people like they were long lost friends. Put yourself out there shaking hands, talking to folks you haven't met and introducing youself around. If your not that kind of person, become that kind of person because if you don't reach out to them they won't want to reach back.

Start an email distribution to keep all the parents on the same sheet of music but make them fun. Share some personal stories. I sent an email recently entitled "13 Days" and relayed to the 350 subscribers how it took my kindergartener exactly 13 days to get sent to the principals office. I wasn't proud of that but just showing that side of my family and having the ability to show how human I was caused at least a dozen people to come up to me and thank me. Who cares if folks know you're not perfect.

THANK PEOPLE ALL THE TIME. This is a selfless business and if you are it with an agenda or need for personal gratification from others, time to find another volunteer position. Don't get me wrong, those things will happen, but if you focus on kudos as your fuel you will be disappointed.

Finally, smile...a lot. You probably care more about what you are doing than most parents do right now. They are not used to having you as a part of their community and frankly they have a lot of communities to choose from (work, church, neighborhoods) so you have to smile, wiggle into their reality and do things that the kids RAVE about so that the focus is on THEM and not the parent that didn't like the mac and cheese at the pot luck.

You guys can do this--providing leadership for a group sometimes starts as a lonely hike in the woods but pretty soon the trail you're blazing will get filled up with folks that want to follow you out of pure curiosity !!!

Good luck-but remember the harder you work, the luckier you'll get.

d

Hello, I'm a PTA, PTO Parent, Secretary for both
On the PTO side, our parents have issues and concerns about our school, that need to be addressed and they are, but at the very next meeting, It seems like the same old problems, no fun, and parents aren't interested and seem only to create more problems . How do I, and the other officers solve this issue and have a little fun at the same time.